In an email sent out to selected customers today as well as a press announcement, Sprint has announced that it has delayed the launch of its long-awaited WiMax service to October 8th with a limited launch in the Baltimore area with other markets to be launched at a later date.
The email sent to customers also points out that the launch will not be a commercial launch, but a limited trial being backed by Intel and other XOHM partners with the chipmaker providing laptops and equipment to selected individuals, taking a page from Sprint’s little known Ambassador customer experience program designed to evangelize and promote the carrier.
This further delay compounds the situation the carrier finds itself in with the increasing lack of confidence inside and outside of the industry regarding the viability and commercial potential of the network with the quickly eroding time to market advantage against LTE and other 4G standards.
[…] to Baltimore to try to bask in the glorious rays of WiMax right off the bat, however. According to PhoneNews, the October 8th debut won’t be a commercial launch, with only select individuals […]
Actually, I believe the launch meeting is October 20.
I hate to say it, but Sprint needs to swallow their pride and just go LTE like everybody else. If they don’t, their handset selection is going to be even worse than it already is!
Well, LTE is still in the lab. Just look how on-time all the 3G roll-outs were, so I wouldn’t be surprised at all if LTE is late. And companies plans can change; for example, the current financial situation just might have an effect.
I work for Intel, so take with a grain of salt. First, there are a few days left in September and wimax world is next week. to say that sprint has delayed their network is not accurate, yet, just b/c the formal celebration is in October. Second, on LTE, agree with Tony. Whether or not you are a fan of wimax or lte, the companies behind wimax have at least a 2 year if not longer advantage. what company and entire partner and ecosystem around that would ever try and give that up? that may be short in the telecom world, but in the computing area, it’s an eternity.
Bill, while I have no doubt of your credentials I’m going by what I’m seeing myself in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and so far I haven’t seen any indication that Sprint XOHM/Clearwire will be launching by the end of the year in my area even though everything is in place except for marketing.
Even if Clearwire/XOHM were to make a big splash at WiMax World, what good would it do? It still doesn’t mean I’ll have access in my area at that point and time or that service will be launched in Baltimore, all the while I’m waiting for an actual launch date so I can go buy equipment and set up my house for WiMax access.
I can only go by the statements that are made directly from the players involved and unless you can provide solid proof to the contrary that it isn’t delayed further, the story will stand.
Humberto, I enjoy your writings in Phone News, but I hope you’re very sure that Sprint is not going to launch Baltimore until October. You seem a bit harsh on them in your piece. If it does turn out to be a September launch, I hope you give them their due very publicly for meeting the September deadline that they gave publicly. I, for one, am looking forward to a mobile WiMAX world and the speeds it will offer!
I realize I came off as harsh in that article and that was not my intention at all. My intention with the article was to detail the growing frustration both within the industry and growing skepticism outside with Sprint regarding timeframes for the launch of the service.
When we covered CTIA earlier this year, we were honestly expecting the service to launch that week, but it just didn’t turn out to be the case. When we reported the details on the new date we gave them the benefit of the doubt, but when Sprint has to send out a press announcement detailing a further delay while making a change in launch plans, that doesn’t give me much confidence in Sprint’s ability to execute.
Things can and do change very quickly regarding this type of situation and I’ll be more than happy to update this article if the launch does indeed happen this month.